Red Moon Rising
by Elemental-Zer0
Summary: In Alpine Village people have started to disappear, again. It seems to be a serial killer targeting extraordinary people but Jane begins to think otherwise… will Lisbon listen, or will she disregard Jane's bizarre theories?
1. Chapter 1

**Red Moon Rising**

**Summary: **_In Alpine Village people have started to disappear, again. It seems to be a serial killer targeting extraordinary people but Jane begins to think otherwise… will Lisbon listen, or will she disregard Jane's bizarre theories?_

**Disclaimer**: This is a Fan-fiction story of the T.V Series; The Mentalist, and is in no way affiliated with the actual series. All Characters and other materials related to the show that are used are not intended to infringe on any Copyrights. Elemental-Zer0 takes sole responsibility for any mistakes or offence that may be taken but truly not meant.

However, this story plot and all Characters not affiliated with the show are Copyright © 2009 to Elemental-Zer0.

**Authors Note/Warnings**: _This idea gave me so much grief that it's not funny… I wanted something that matched the epic-ness that is The Mentalist but my fears that my ideas were inadequate spurred me to seek help from a forum called The Blue Whale Pub where several avid fans were very helpful. _

_And yes, this idea was inspired by something… can you guess what it was?_

_Let me know what you think, but no flames please. If you have any criticism to make please do it politely otherwise I shall ignore your words. (It's happened before, I'm sorry to say, and I hadn't even posted any chapters…)_

* * *

**Prologue: **Full Moon, Blood Blooms

The wind was etched with a bitter sigh as it blew between the gnarled old Ash trees that her ancestors had taken great care to plant and grow here. This was her sacred getaway, her hidey hole… her place of selfish peace. A place where she could be herself and not have the world judge her or her beliefs and idealisms.

But tonight, the air was frigid, mourning… hesitant. Something was trying to communicate, to warn her. Her place of solitude suddenly didn't feel so safe. She stood, ready to leave, but a sparkle of something on the floor catching the weak sunlight that filtered through the magnificent trees, took her attention. She looked closer, her fears telling her that this could be the reason her ancestors were in such disarray. It looked like a piece of glass buried just beneath a topsoil of dirt. The earth was freshly dug and there were small claw marks as though a small animal had tried to burrow into the ground there.

Carefully and fearfully, she knelt down and brushed a few handfuls of dirt away. It _was_ glass but it was a large sheet of glass; the edges disappearing beyond her feeble dig. It seemed so out of place, the intricate designs with etchings now seeded with mud seemed too pretty and valuable to have buried it in the middle of her father's lands. She fingered the delicate designs, scraping clumps of dirt away from the glass in the small hole she'd dug out and revealed an inscription that was carved upon the glass. It read;

"Upon thy reawakening

In Mother Earth's womb,

Thou shalt set foot upon

A land not of our time.

"Upon thy re-entering

Of this glorious world,

Thou wilt hath step foot

Upon a future unknown."

She knew these words; usually associated with the old religion back when sacrifice and preserving rituals were practiced. Usually there were more stanzas but she only had a little peephole to look at. The rest of the wording could have been continued on the unseen glass that she was sure was buried beneath her.

_Sacrifices…?_ Something in her mind almost clicked. It felt like her brain had figured out what the mystery was but her mind wouldn't let her believe it. _Reawakenings...? _The wind blew again, harder this time, almost as if trying to move her away, to save her from this dreaded feeling that was creeping up her spine. Her blood ran cold. She froze.

Sudden fear took over her body and she peered past the glass and the inscribed words of the old ways and into the darkness beneath the covering she was knelt on…

Wide, dead eyes stared back.

She screamed.

* * *

A/N: I know… not much action but this _is_ just the prologue. Its supposed to give a sense of mystery and fear. Did it work?


	2. Chapter 2

**Red Moon Rising**

**Summary: **_In Alpine Village people have started to disappear, again. It seems to be a serial killer targeting extraordinary people but Jane begins to think otherwise… will Lisbon listen, or will she disregard Jane's bizarre theories?_

**Disclaimer**: This is a Fan-fiction story of the T.V Series; The Mentalist, and is in no way affiliated with the actual series. All Characters and other materials related to the show that are used are not intended to infringe on any Copyrights. Elemental-Zer0 takes sole responsibility for any mistakes or offence that may be taken but truly not meant.

However, this story plot and all Characters not affiliated with the show are Copyright © 2009 to Elemental-Zer0.

**Authors Note/Warnings**: _Well, here's Chapter two… Enjoy!_

_Let me know what you think, but no flames please. If you have any criticism to make please do it politely otherwise I shall ignore your words. (It's happened before, I'm sorry to say, and I hadn't even posted any chapters…)_

* * *

**Chapter One: **_Lunar Light, Red Flight_

"Hi, we're from the CBI. What have we got?" Agent Teresa Lisbon; a mid height, purse lipped, middle-aged woman asked as she and her team of CBI agents plus a certain CBI Consultant dipped under the yellow tape that isolated an apparently random area in the middle of a secluded forest.

Mr Patrick Jane, the aforementioned Consultant who was for the most part looking very much the gentleman character in his grey three piece suit and shirt, shivered slightly in the chilly breeze despite the layers he had on. He was tall and slimly built with a crop of blond curly hair and dazzling green eyes that caught everything in their captivating gaze. He wasn't an Agent for the CBI; he wasn't a violent man by nature and so couldn't warrant holding a gun or a badge or being burdened with all those responsibilities, and the paperwork! No, he was more of a laidback and carefree character who loved to watch, tease and confound all those around him. Like now for example, he was watching -_very carefully_- everything that was going on; the CSI team digging the glass topped coffin out of the shallow grave it'd been buried in, the officers of the local police dept who were milling around or helping the CSI team with their hard hands and shovels, and the small group of civilians who were gathered behind them just beyond the yellow tape.

In fact it was one girl in particular who he met eyes with and shared a secret understanding. '_She must be the one who found the coffin_.' He suspected. She nodded at his unasked question before looking away. He smiled before turning back to the clearing; his sharp eyes picking out the different trees that circled the area, outlining this particular part of the forest for a reason beyond his understanding just yet. The floor was more downtrodden too, suggesting a lot of activity here - although given the current population of the enclosed area, that could be for a number of reasons completely unrelated to the crime at hand.

His visual sweep concluded, which took all of twenty seconds, he turned his attention back to the conversation at hand. His smug trademark smile firmly in place.

"Hi, I'm Sheriff Riley. I gotta tell ya; this is summit I ain't ever seen before." The local Sheriff, a tall and daunting looking man with a standard cowboy's hat and handlebar moustache, greeted them with a terse, tight-lipped grimace and a slightly drawling accent. '_A likely candidate for the cause of disappearance, the stiff upper body suggesting he suspected what was going to happen too but had no part in that event nor could he prove it._'Jane smirked again and shook the Sheriff's hand when he offered it to him. '_Firm grip but soft hands. Strange._'

"Who's the victim?" Lisbon asked, pulling the train back on to its tracks. Jane smiled at that, she always was a stickler for procedure. If only she would think outside the box sometimes… she'd find the world a very fascinating place indeed.

"Miss Iola Summers, 29, married with three kids. Husband's name is Mr Gary Summers. She was an expert pianist and was going for the 'Interstate Musical Award Championships' or 'IMA Champs' for short. There were high hopes for her future but she went missing three years ago." The Sheriff explained as he addressed Lisbon once again. "Case went cold about a month after her disappearance. It was suspected she was dead but her family still held on to that shred of hope." He finished as he led them to a circle of trees that surrounded the immediate crime scene. As they walked, the wind whispered past them again, caressing them each as it sighed through the forest. The rest of the team seemed to have not felt it or were ignoring it but Jane thought for a moment that he'd felt something in that wind; like a calm, warm feeling spreading across his mind. He glanced back at the girl who he'd dubbed in his mind as 'the discoverer' and found her staring at him with a look curiosity.

"Who found her?" Agent Kimble Cho, a smaller but more fierce looking man of what appeared to Chinese descent, asked as he followed the Sheriff. Jane shook his head and refocused on the conversation.

The Sheriff glanced back at them before stopping at the shallow hole where the glass coffin had been dug up. Seeing it up close was something else; the body of the coffin seemed to be made of pinewood that was smoothed and varnished with a handmade quality, while brass rods gilded the corners like a picture frame; hiding the nails that held the whole thing together no doubt. Engravings in a gold coloured paint ran all the way around the outside in a strange pattern. The lid was shaped in a plat-formed dome design, like that of a diamond head and framed with the same brass rods to hold it all together. Small detailed etchings on the glass decorated the edges of the glass lid that also had the quality of being handcrafted with the utmost devotion.

Through the glass, they could see the body of one Iola Summers, perfectly preserved on a white silk sheet. She was a mid-height, younger woman with olive coloured skin and long thick auburn locks that curled at the end. She was dressed in a simple white dress that stopped just past her knees, there were no undergarments visible and her feet were bare too. Her eyes were open wide in a terrified acceptance that she was going to die. All evidence suggesting, she had been buried alive.

Agents Wayne Rigsby – the giant of the team but with an opposing demeanour, and Grace Van Pelt – the youngest and most recent addition to the team, openly gaped. And Jane had to admit that he was slightly impressed too. But then something took his interest. He knelt down next to the coffin and studied the engravings for a moment. He'd seen these symbols somewhere before… There were a total of eight and they were carved all over the wooden base, in a repeating pattern.

He tuned the rest of the conversation out, subconsciously taking in what was being said but letting his thoughts mull over possible meanings for these strange symbols. Cryptology and symbolism wasn't strictly his forte, but he had dabbled in one or two symbolic researches -_he'd had a client once who was deeply into symbols and the like, they'd shared some views on the subject which had pre-empted him into researching the topic_- which was probably why these symbols seemed familiar to him in some way…

"That'll be Miss Rose Walker over there." From the corner of his eye, Jane saw the sheriff throw his arm in the general direction of the civilians, confirming his earlier assumption. "She's the daughter of Dr Aaron Walker who owns these lands. Sometimes comes up here to 'think' or 'get away from life' if ya know what I mean. This was her spot but I don't think she'll be coming back anytime soon." Jane nodded to himself as he refocused on the symbols while Lisbon began issuing orders. He half listened.

"Rigsby," She said as she turned to the addressed agent, her voice curt and clipped. "Take a look at the body; see if you can find anything we can investigate further; Cause of death, strange wounds etc." The man gave a quick nod and jumped forward with a quick "Yes boss." He moved around to the other side of the coffin so that he was in Jane's view. They shared a quick glance before he set to work and Jane stood up, turning to look at the group of civilians now dubbed as 'the Walkers and company'.

Lisbon turned to her rookie agent; "Van Pelt, look into this IMA champs, see if anyone was trying to eliminate threats to the prizes. Check out any other disappearances in the area too." The young agent nodded but before she could excuse herself, Jane tapped her on the shoulder and added his shopping list to her cart.

"Do you think you could investigate those symbols on the coffin too? I've seen them before but I just can't remember where. They feel important but I don't know why yet." He asked with a serious tone. Grace Van Pelt looked at him with amusement.

"Are you admitting that you don't know something?" She asked with a grin. He smiled with her before letting her disappear to the cars. She was getting quicker at noticing the smaller things, she'd make a great agent one day. After all, details and information were her specialty. Lisbon just rolled her eyes with a small smile before addressing her last agent.

"Cho I want you to visit the Summers; see if you can shed any light on what happened the day she disappeared, any enemies, family hardships and the like." The stoic man nodded and gave Jane a smirk that could be translated into a grin of amusement at his earlier admittance before he disappeared back to his car, the keys jangling in his hand already. Jane watched him go while Lisbon sidled up to him.

"Symbols huh?" She asked, her eyes also following Cho's car as it backed up onto the road. "Do I want to know what you're thinking?" She looked at him then, her hesitant smirk waiting for an unpredictable spout of nonsense that would probably make perfect sense at the end of the case. (Ask her to admit that out loud though and she'd sooner shoot you.)

"Not yet you don't. I want to confirm my hunch first."


	3. Chapter 3

**Red Moon Rising**

**Summary: **_In Alpine Village people have started to disappear, again. It seems to be a serial killer targeting extraordinary people but Jane begins to think otherwise… will Lisbon listen, or will she disregard Jane's bizarre theories?_

**Disclaimer**: This is a Fan-fiction story of the T.V Series; The Mentalist, and is in no way affiliated with the actual series. All Characters and other materials related to the show that are used are not intended to infringe on any Copyrights. Elemental-Zer0 takes sole responsibility for any mistakes or offence that may be taken but truly not meant.

However, this story plot and all Characters not affiliated with the show are Copyright © 2009 to Elemental-Zer0.

**Authors Note/Warnings**: _Sorry guys, this chapter took me a while to get right. It just didn't want to be written for some strange reason. Also my social life seems to like kidnapping me at the most inconvenient moments too, I swear if one more relative has a birthday, wedding, baby or drops dead I shall scream!_

_Well I've prattled on for long enough, enjoy Chapter Two!_

_Let me know what you think, but no flames please. If you have any criticism to make please do it politely otherwise I shall ignore your words. (It's happened before, I'm sorry to say, and I hadn't even posted any chapters…)_

* * *

**Chapter Two: **_New Nights, Rose Lights_

"Confirm a hunch huh?" Lisbon pried, trying to ignore that niggling feeling that something could go terribly wrong if she let Jane loose on one of his hunches. She couldn't help but feel nervous when Jane had these 'theories' that he never shared, they usually spelled angry meetings with the CBI Director and a lot of mess to clear up afterwards. And with their tethers reined in so short already with their new boss; Madeleine Hightower, she wasn't sure if the team could survive the collateral damage of one of Jane's 'hunches'. Her withering glare did not go unnoticed.

"Oh come on Lisbon. Don't you trust me?" Jane asked with that all-too-smug grin on his face. Sometimes she just wanted to wipe it off his face. The temptation this time was almost too much.

"No." She replied stoically and brushed past him quickly, but not before he saw the teasing smirk on her lips. He grinned again and followed her quietly as she led the way to where the Walkers were currently stood.

"That was harsh Lisbon…" He muttered just loud enough so that she could hear but pretend she hadn't heard, which was precisely what she did - just as Jane had predicted.

"Dr Walker?" She asked courteously, flashing her identification as she came to a stop just in front of the middle aged physician. Jane took a moment to study the man; his salt and pepper hair was smoothed back with finger indentations still visible from where he'd run his hand through it several times. A nervous or stress related habit. His wide rimmed glasses were the practical kind, not designed in a fashionable sense but rather generic and plain – store bought reading glasses then. He looked haggard and ruffled; as though he'd been dragged from his place of work at the hospital after a hard days work and not gotten to his bed yet. Tired blue eyes darted between himself and Lisbon, wondering who was in charge and who he'd primarily be speaking to.

"Yes?" He replied looking a little relieved that he was finally getting some information on the situation. He was a man who liked to be kept in the loop then, controlling, and liked to be educated of present events.

"I'm Agent Teresa Lisbon, this is Patrick Jane." Lisbon introduced, taking the man's hand as he offered a handshake at each of their names. "We're from the CBI and we're heading the investigation here." Jane smiled enigmatically at him when they shook hands, it was normal grin but with a hint of '_knowing_'; a tactful practice he'd taken to using with these types of people just to see if he could get a rise out of them - make them feel like they're missing out on an important piece of information and how they'd react to that feeling. It was interesting really, every controlling type he'd done this to all reacted the same way.

Aha, there it was; the slight double-take and hint of suspicion in his eyes. Jane's grin turned to one of amusement, not that anyone could have noticed; the change was indiscernible.

"So what's going on Agent Lisbon? All I know is my daughter here found a _coffin_ on our land? I think we deserve some answers, don't you?" Dr Walker inquired, placing a heavy hand on his daughter's shoulder. For support or something else, Jane wasn't quite sure yet. He studied the young adolescent girl for a moment; she was of average height for her age, slim, pale and typically plain in looks - though if she smartened up a bit she could be stunning. She was caucasian like her father but her eyes were a deep green, almost hazel, colour whereas her father's were a light but piercing blue. She was quiet, submissive but not in any shock or fear. And there was a hardness in her eyes that told Jane everything.

He smiled again, mischievously at her, letting her know she had a partner in crime so to speak. She smirked back quickly before both turned their attention back to the conversation at hand.

"We're doing our best to find out what happened sir, so far all we know is the same as you; a coffin with a dead body was buried on your land." Lisbon replied with the normal procedural _vague_ response which, even though it was true, was still a pain in the ass to hear. "We just need to ask your daughter a few questions and we can get back to our investigation. Is that ok?" She added the question on the end to make it seem like he was in some partial control. It worked but not to the usual extent due to the man's natural controlling nature.

"Sure, but she's under twenty-one so I'll stay present if it's all the same to you." He replied keeping his hand firmly on her shoulder. Jane noticed this and caught the light squeeze he gave her; a warning? She confirmed his guess when she met his gaze and quickly looked away.

They had something to hide.

"Ok Rose, can you tell me what happened?" Lisbon asked leaning down to the girl's height so as not to seem so intimidating. But her father cut in before she could respond.

"She's already given her statement to the Sheriff." He stated curtly. Jane watched him with his 'I-know-you're-hiding-something' look as the guy fidgeted under his scrutiny. But before he could say anything, Lisbon cut in.

"Yes, but statistics show that 90 percent of the time, witnesses will think of a hundred different details they could have put in their statement after they'd written it and handed it in. This is just a routine 'cross check' that all investigations go through." Lisbon explained patiently. Again, it was the practiced, vague response but it was hard to dispute. "May we continue?" She asked with her no nonsense look. Jane had to stifle a grin. The man's face was a picture.

"Yes, certainly." He grudgingly conceded, still holding his daughter's neck; a means to feel in control of at least one thing. Lisbon either didn't notice or was doing a damned good job of hiding it if she did. She bent down again and repeated her question.

"Rose? Is there anything you'd like to add to your statement? Anything else you can remember?" The girl shook her head and lowered her gaze. Jane studied her again; she was being submissive to her father's subtle warnings. The hand on her neck, the stern look he gives her. Jane couldn't stop himself from asking the most obvious question –_to him anyways_- in the most bluntest form he could think of.

"Do you often control your daughter with force like that?" He asked gesturing to his hand on her neck and shocking nearly everyone in the area. The doctor spluttered something unintelligible for a moment before finding his voice again.

"How dare you imply such-…?" He started, his face turning a shade of red through a mixture of embarrassment at being caught and rage at being insulted in such a way, but Jane cut him off before he could finish his outburst.

"Imply?" The taller man questioned. "I'm sorry, wasn't I clear enough?"

Lisbon had just about had enough of Jane's jokes, especially at times like this, but as she turned to reprimand him she noticed that the twinkle in his eyes and his impish grin were gone. There was a hardness there replacing those adorable -_if not annoying_- features of his that he only revealed when the situation was serious. Lisbon knew then that Jane had cottoned on to something important and that was a warning bell for her to step in.

"Jane that's enough!" She said, using her authoritative tone forcing the consultant to take a step back, and also signalling that she had received his veiled warning and was taking control of the situation as she saw fit. She turned apologetically to the two gob-smacked individuals. "I'm sorry for my colleague's rude behaviour. But perhaps it's best if we talk to Rose alone?" She suggested gently, "Just to be safe, we don't want to have to explain this to the higher-ups if there is a doubt that this is true."

"There is no doubt! I would never treat my daughter like that!" The doctor shouted angrily, his eyes never leaving Jane. Only two hours in this village and Jane had already made a promising enemy. Lisbon sometimes couldn't believe the man's capacity to get into trouble.

"Please sir, I need to speak with your daughter alone." Lisbon persisted, moving to catch the man's eyes and hopefully saving her friend from a possible showdown with the angered man.

"No. No way, she's under twenty-one…" Doctor Walker began but Jane opened his mouth and cut in again, effectively sealing his doom with both Lisbon and the Doctor.

"But above the age of sixteen. Legally able to talk to us without parental supervision if a member of social services is present." He said in a smug tone but Lisbon could still hear the seriousness in his voice. And just as it looked like the Doctor was going to jump the yellow tape and deck her consultant, she stepped in front of him and cut in with her calm professional, but very authoritative, tone.

"Please understand, sir, if there is even the slightest hint that what my colleague implied is true, even if it came from an annoying, outspoken rude little man, I have to be seen taking steps to assure that the reports and statements taken are true without outside influence." She said, glancing briefly with a sly, smug smirk at Jane when she punctuated the words, '_annoying_', '_outspoken_' and '_rude_' in her sentence. It also seemed to satisfy the Doctor in that his sentiments were agreed with and would possibly be reprimanded properly through CBI internal methods.

"Oh… of course, I'll bring her to you tomorrow morning." He relented grudgingly, but then made a quick condition, "But _he_ is not allowed anywhere near my daughter!" He said loudly while pointing a finger at Jane before turning around and steering his daughter with him, no doubt heading back to their house.

The moment they were out of earshot she wheeled on Jane, but stopped short at the severe look of concern and frustration on his face. He was worried about something.

"What is it?" She asked, suddenly feeling that maybe she shouldn't have let the two go, or taken a much quicker action than she did. But as usual, his reply was cryptic and useless to her.

"Something she needs to stop. And she needs to decide for herself whether it will or not." He said through tense lips but with a relaxed posture meaning it wasn't something urgent to deal with. Lisbon shook her head at him and moved over to where the coffin was. She'd get it out of him during the girl's interview because despite the Doctor's request, she'd need Jane there to help the girl admit his hunch.


	4. Chapter 4

**Red Moon Rising**

**Summary: **_In Alpine Village people have started to disappear, again. It seems to be a serial killer targeting extraordinary people but Jane begins to think otherwise… will Lisbon listen, or will she disregard Jane's bizarre theories?_

**Disclaimer**: This is a Fan-fiction story of the T.V Series; The Mentalist, and is in no way affiliated with the actual series. All Characters and other materials related to the show that are used are not intended to infringe on any Copyrights. Elemental-Zer0 takes sole responsibility for any mistakes or offence that may be taken but truly not meant.

However, this story plot and all Characters not affiliated with the show are Copyright © 2009 to Elemental-Zer0.

**Authors Note/Warnings**: _An update as promised... Chapter four will prob take a while though as my coursework is piling up. Sorry guys. _

_Let me know what you think, but no flames please. If you have any criticism to make please do it politely otherwise I shall ignore your words. (It's happened before, I'm sorry to say, and I hadn't even posted any chapters…)_

* * *

**Chapter Three: **_Crimson Secrets_

Agent Wayne Rigsby decided then and there that, while he loved his job, he also hated it. The whole 'catching-the-bad-guy' part was awesome – especially when you were part of the 'notorious' Serious Crimes Unit in the CBI and had an amazing team behind you all the way – but this part; the 'poking-a-dead-guy' part… kinda sucked. It wasn't that he was afraid or disgusted by them; hell, he'd seen enough dead and dismembered bodies and gruesome crime scenes to make even the most realistic horror director run for the toilets with fear. It was just that when the cause of death is as inhumane as this one, Wayne Rigsby can't help but feel sorry for the dead guy. Anger at the whole situation eats at him and he feels that he owes it to the unfortunate victim to catch the evil perpetrator who was responsible for such a horrid act of cruelty.

He gave a quick smirk at that thought; if Grace Van Pelt ever found out that Wayne Rigsby 'cared' too, she'd never let him live it down. But here he was, poking a dead guy and feeling ticked off that there wasn't much evidence to really go forward with the case. He felt useless.

Sure he'd found a few interesting things; one was a strange tattoo on the woman's left wrist and another was how anaemic she looked. It was as though she'd been almost bled dry yet there were no marks that he could see to prove that fact. It was also strange how her eyes were open as if she'd been wide awake when she was buried but the inside of the coffin and her very position indicated no signs of a struggle. It was almost as if she'd willingly laid there and let it all happen… He shivered; if it had been him in her pace, he'd have fought tooth and nail to get out or fight back.

"Coroner!" He finally called, his own loud voice breaking his self induced tension as his 'business' face took over. He'd done all he could here, he now needed an autopsy which should officially report the cause of death and highlight anything he might have missed or couldn't see on the inside.

The coroner sauntered over with a grimace at the body, no doubt cursing the lout who did this. Rigsby couldn't agree more with the sentiments.

"How's it looking so far?" The Coroner asked, dropping to his old knees beside the coffin. He was an older guy with greying hair, tobacco stained teeth and old twinkling eyes that hinted of many tales to tell. But before Rigsby could start a friendly conversation, Jane and Lisbon chose that moment to show their faces too.

"Well, there's no sign of retaliation from within the coffin but she's extremely anaemic. Thing is, I can't see a wound or anything to suggest where the blood came from or where it went." Rigsby reported with his professional face firmly in place now that his boss was standing mere centimetres from his crouched person. "There are no stains around her eyes, mouth, ears or nose so it wasn't puked up or anything and there are no signs of that in her lower extremities either. I can confidently say that exsanguination was the most probable cause of death but it was gradual." He grimaced at this point. This was the fact that had been bugging him from earlier. "She had enough blood in her to keep her alive for two days at most but without a transfusion… well the result is right in front of you." He finished with a half hearted flourish of his hands at the body in the coffin.

"And what of the missing blood?" Lisbon asked as Jane leaned over Rigsby's crouched form and studied the coffin over his shoulder, a critical eye noting down details to memory.

"No sign of it boss. None that I can see. The coffin is too slimly built to have had any hidden compartments for it to run in to and if that were the case, we'd see a trail or some kind of staining to prove so. There's no room in there to hide any thing else that might contain the blood… wherever it is, its not here. CSI guys have been digging underneath the burial site too just in case they find a trace but so far there's just nothing." Rigsby replied with a grim smile. It was confusing to say the least.

"Looks like we have another crime scene to find." Lisbon sighed, as if one crime scene wasn't enough, now the killer had to be greedy and hide another one? Was it too much to ask for one easy case?

"Good work Rigsby, have the coffin and dirt samples moved to the forensics lab and have them sample everything." She ordered but Jane quickly tapped her shoulder and added his thoughts to the basket.

"Could you get them to check for dry ice and such on the inside of the coffin? I want to know why the body looks so fresh if it's been underground and dead for three years." Lisbon nodded, he had a point but a thought struck her that she felt needed to be voiced.

"What if it was only recently buried?" She asked, but Jane just gave her that look that told her she had missed a fact or point.

"It'd still have decomposed wherever it was… unless she was kept alive some place and recently killed." He pointed out, and then grinned. "I bet you twenty dollars the coroner places the time of death three years ago." He added mischievously. Lisbon rolled her eyes.

"And what makes you so sure she died three years ago and not two days ago?" She asked, her hands finding her hips unconsciously in an attempt to look more professional than he. After all, she was the one with the badge and gun, not him.

"Oh no, that would be telling…" She gave him a deadpan look that asked if he really thought she was _that_ stupid. Betting with Jane was just the same as signing a blank cheque and handing it to him; a waste of time and money.

"I am not making a bet with you." She replied before heading back to the cars. Jane quickly followed, his boyish grin firmly in place.

"Why not? I know you go for the more realistic views on a case… but this could be 50/50." He pushed as he caught up to her fast strides with his long ones.

"And most of the time you find a way to be right even when the evidence disproves you. You always find a way to claim victory. That's why I'm not betting with you. Not now, not ever." Lisbon replied evenly as she fished out the car keys from her jacket pocket and hit the unlock button. The flashing yellow lights winked at them as if in secret collaboration with Jane and his wicked ways.

"I do not." The 'over-grown-boy' replied and Lisbon half expected him to poke his tongue out at her with the childish way he was behaving. She gave him an amused smirk before opening the driver's door and sitting down at the wheel. Jane followed suit with the passenger's door and as he buckled himself in, she couldn't resist the temptation to snipe back at him.

"You do too."

* * *

A few hours later found Grace Van Pelt staring at the screen of her portable laptop with a slightly confused look upon her face. She'd already checked out the IMA Champs and requested a thorough background check on each applicant, staff member and judge – just to be sure. Her research into similar disappearances and crime scenes proved somewhat fruitful though, with a record of 14 missing people who just vanished with no rhyme or reason. And two of those were recent.

But what it was that was confusing her were the symbols that Jane had asked her to look into. The meanings of the symbols were all very vague and the names of the symbols followed in the same strangeness. She sighed, giving up on trying to figure out what Jane was thinking and hit the print button. She'd let him do his thing, he closed cases. '_How?_' was still an unsolved mystery to her but if this was what he needed to do it, she wasn't about to impede his actions.

The wireless compact printer hummed to life, the blue light blinking to show it was receiving data. Van Pelt picked up her phone and dialled her boss' number. It was time to report in.

"_Lisbon._"

"Hey boss, I've got some info you might want to look at…"

* * *

"… Good Work Van Pelt, we'll be over shortly." Lisbon closed her flip phone with a snap, effectively cutting the connection to her subordinate before picking up her coffee cup and draining the contents down her throat. Jane followed suit, interpreting the action as an implication that they were about to leave the small café. Shame; he was really hoping to sample the lemon tart they had on display. She stood up after placing the coffee cup back on the table and leaving a small tip for the waitress before nodding to him and leaving the table. He sighed, left a larger tip and followed her out of the door in his own sedately time.

"What did Van Pelt say?" He asked as they climbed back into the rental car, Lisbon already strapping herself in behind the wheel; another show of masculinity and territorialism of her position over him. She was his boss, his leader… and yet she still felt just a little threatened of his mind power, so much so that she had to keep subtly and subconsciously reinforcing her position to herself and him. Jane found it all highly amusing and let her get on with it. It was interesting to watch and observe.

"Just that she has the information we wanted. We're heading to her now." Lisbon replied as she revved the engine and pulled out of the car park of the café that Jane had insisted they stop at to get some dinner. Well, they'd been on the road for most of the afternoon, and he'd missed lunch before they'd left earlier that day.

The journey was short and mere minutes later they were parked outside one of the motel suites they'd rented on such short notice. It wasn't as bad as they'd first thought it would be; the office was situated to the far left of the establishment while several small, one storey houses in rows of four or six were placed to the right in a cascading manner. The motel was situated just outside the village on a main road that lead into and out of the village. Behind the motel, large fern trees towered over them and backed off into a large thick forest that apparently – according to the locals – went on for miles and miles.

Jane smiled at the sight, it was interesting and cosy. He liked it. The same however could not be said for Lisbon who just scowled at the place witheringly before locking the car and moving toward her and Van Pelt's door. With their budget on a tight belt lately, they'd all had to share rooms. All except Jane however who could afford to have a room all to himself. A fact both Rigsby and Cho were envy of.

Van Pelt opened the door and beckoned them inside. She started explaining immediately what she'd found.

"I was able to find 14 other cases of people vanishing without a trace. Two went missing within the last two weeks, both within days of eachother. No signs of them anywhere. It looks like we're dealing with a serial murderer. However my background checks on the IMA champs haven't come back yet so there could be a link there that we're missing." She explained succinctly while sitting on the bed and passing printed sheets of missing people reports to Lisbon and Jane. Lisbon looked them over and nodded to herself while Jane glanced at the photographs only. "Oh and these are for you Jane." Van Pelt added quickly offering him the printouts of the symbols and their meanings that he'd asked for.

"Thank you Van Pelt, you are reliable and efficient as always." Jane replied graciously as he took the printouts and sat himself down in a spare chair to read them over. And as he read the meanings and names, the whole world seemed to fade out of existence. He blocked every other noise out as his memories tried to fill in the gaps of what he was seeing in front of him.

The symbols were actually called Runes, an old language of the Pagans and Celtics from a long time ago, back when Druids were the ruling religion. Of course druidism and paganism still existed but on a much lesser scale than they had been before Christianity claimed to have purged the lands of all other religions. But these symbols that he recognised were coming back to him as if from a distant memory. From the specific memory he'd remembered when he first saw them except it was coming back in more detail now. His friend, an old Professor of cryptology and dead languages had told him of these Runes and how they were interpreted. There were only twenty-four in total and rather than being letters to spell words, these Runes had meanings that when placed in a specific order would communicate a certain message.

He smirked to himself. He'd enjoy cracking this one; he hadn't had a tough challenge for a while now.

The first symbol he'd seen was called _Gyfu_, and its meaning read; _Love, gift, partnership, talent, skill, ability_. But the meaning was vague so he had to discover what the meanings of the other Runes meant before he could even begin deciphering the code. The second Rune was _Man_ meaning; _Mankind, humanity, soul, spirit. _The third was called _Perth_ and meant _Chance, mystery, gamble, luck. _The fourth was _Rad_, meaning _Journey, arrival/departure, union, new friends._ The fifth was called _Nyd _and meant _Need, want, craving, demand, desire, and compulsion. _The sixth symbol was known as _Sigil_ meaning _Sun, wholeness, light, energy, victory, and discovery._ The seventh symbol was called _Ger_ and meant _Year, harvest, fertility. _And the last symbol was called _Daeg_ and meant _Day, daylight, dawn, breakthrough._ So put these all together and what do they mean?

_Gyfu, Man, Perth, Rad, Nyd, Sigil, Ger and Daeg. _

'_Love, gift, partnership, talent, skill, ability, mankind, humanity, soul, spirit, chance mystery, gamble, luck, journey, arrival/departure, union, new friends, need, want, craving, demand, desire, compulsion, sun, wholeness, light, energy, victory, discovery, year, harvest, fertility, day, daylight, dawn_ and _breakthrough_.'

What did it all mean? What story was it trying to tell?

He didn't know yet, but he was going to figure it out.

* * *

**A/N**: _Ok, free preview of the next chapter to anyone who can guess what the runic message is… or near enough. I don't think anyone will get it accurately. Good luck x_


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